End case packer



F. P. ALDUK END CASE PACKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 3, 1969lNl/'A/TOR FRANK P. ALDUK 511M Wt K U D L A R F END CASE PAGKER 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 3, 1969 0 5 4 5 9 N 5 w w mm/ 2 y 7 7 00 3 l a'5 a v 6 6 8 3 0 8 a 8 W F m. 3 4 5 2 3 T ,0 o w T w 7 0 W746 3 4 8 o 3s7 ,.JW INVENTOR FRANK P ALDUK Ms A flamers F. P. ALDUK END CASE PACKERDec, 15, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 5, 1969 Ill/X Y Ill/I/A rLWLrIll III/l/l/l/ INVENTOR F/id/VK P. ALDUK aym 7w Iris Attorneys UnitedStates Patent U.S. CI. 53-77 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thereis disclosed an apparatus for assembling and simultaneously discharginga case load of containers into an open-ended carton. The machine is inthe form of an attachment to an existing machine of another type.Containers are arranged in lines or rows on a continuouslymoving endlessbelt from which they are pushed in rows onto an inclined platformpivoted to tilt to a steeper inclination. There is a funnel structurebeyond the end of this platform through which containers on the platformcan slide when the platform is tilted to its steepest angle. The openend of a carton is fitted over the funnel so that as the containers movethrough the tunnel, they slide into the carton. As the carton is placedover the funnel, an end support member is first raised to support theend of the carton opposite the open end, when the tilting platform isdropped to its steepest angle and the containers are released to slidethrough the funnel, while a gate lowers against the leading cans movingoff the conveyor to block their movement until all parts return to thestarting position.

This invention relates to the field of packaging in which a plurality ofsimilar objects, such as containers, are loaded into a carton, and moreparticularly it is for such an apparatus of the type known as an endcase loader in which a predetermined number of containers is organizedinto a prearranged group, and the group then slide into an open-endedcarton supported in position to receive them.

The present application discloses a single tier end case packerespecially, although not necessarily, designed as a unitaryinterchangeable attachment to a basic unit comprising a supporting framein which is a continuouslydriven endless belt. Containers are dischargedin a more or less random arrangement onto the receiving end of thisbelt, and they are carried by the belt toward the discharge end, and asthey travel, a plurality of parallel plates extending lengthwise of theconveyor near its discharge end arrange the containers into parallelrows. US. Pat. to A. A. Smith, No. 2,657,845, granted Nov. 3, 1953,shows such a basic unit where the supporting frame for the belt conveyorcomprises parallel structural sections between which the belt islocated, the sections extending beyond the discharge end of theconveyor, and the containers moving oif the discharge end of theconveyor are discharged in prearranged successive groups onto a rockingplatform where an inverted open top carton is slipped down over eachsuccessive group, and the plate then rocked to discharge the carton,loaded with the containers, and turn it upright.

Such an upside-down case loading apparatus is desirably used where thecarton has internal cells, with a cell for each container in a case lot.A case lot in this package is customarily twenty-four containers. In acopending application Ser. No. 796,097, filed Feb. 3, 1969, and executedby me the 27th day of January 1969, I have shown an attachment forconverting the upside-down case packer to a drop-through case packer,and in still another application, Ser. No. 796,092, filed Feb. 3, 1969,and executed Jan. 27, 1969, I have shown the adaptation of such ice abasic unit adapted to the nested packing of cartons.

For very large food cans. such as No. 1 cans, and similar largecontainers, the packaging arrangements above referred to are lessadaptable, both because of the size of the containers and the weight ofthe filled containers. A case lot of such large containers is usuallytwelve containers in three rows of four cans each, and even such a loadis quite heavy, and both the upside-down method and the drop-throughmethod of case packing is not well adapted to loading them into a caseor carton.

The present invention provides an attachment for a basic unit such asthat shown in the said United States patent designed to load a singletier of cans into the end of an open carton while the carton ismechanically supported, and after the containers are in the carton, thesupport lowers it to a position where it may be conveniently removed orit may even be arranged to topple over onto a filled carton-removingconveyor. The cans, coming off the discharge end of the endless beltconveyor, move over a dead plate and slide in rows down an inclinedplatform until the leading can in each row is stopped by retractabledogs near the lower end of the platform. When the open end of the cartonto be filled is slipped over the discharge end of the funnel, a valve istripped which operates a fluid pressure cylinder and piston to move asupport up against the end of the empty carton. As the support reachesits upper limit of travel, it operates a valve to tilt the platform to asteeper angle, and as the platform reaches the lower limit of thistilting motion, the dogs are retracted, allowing the containers on theplatform to slide through the tunnel into the carton while a gatearrangement swings down to block other cans from sliding ofi the deadplate onto the platform, so that only a case load of containers canslide otf the platform into the carton. The carton support then startsto lower the filled carton while the platform is lifted to its startingposition, the dogs reset to stop the next load of cans, and the gateopens to allow another case lot of containers to slide into the paltformfor a repeat of the cycle.

Since, in its preferred form, the apparatus is embodied in a unitaryattachment for a basic unit to be interchanged with other differentloading attachments, it is so designed that it may be installed andadjusted to a correct position simply and rapidly, while the mechanismis simple and can be kept in operating condition without highly skilledlabor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a unique, simple endcase packer and more especially an end case packer made as a completeself-contained unit that may be attached to and removed from a standardbasic machine.

In the accompanying drawings wherein a present preferred embodiment ofthe invention is disclosed:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation looking at the discharge end of theapparatus;

FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section in substantially the plane ofline IV-IV of FIG. 2, but on a larger scale, with the front end of theconveyor broken away and showing the parts of the machine incontainer-receiving position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the parts in position todischarge the containers into the end of a carton;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line VII--VII ofFIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a simplified diagram of the pneumatic circuits.

In the drawings, 2 designates the frame structure of the basic conveyorunit, having vertically-adjustable legs 3. The machine has a bedcomprised of parallel horizontal structural sections 4 that project wellbeyond the frame 2 at the rear of the machine, theserearwardlyprojecting extensions being designated 4a. There is an endlessconveyor belt 5 supported in the frame between the structural sections4. This belt passes over a roll 6 at the forward end of the machine andover a driving roll 7 near the rear end of the machine. There is a motorand adjustable speed reducing drive unit at 8, and a chain 9 betweenthis unit and a sprocket wheel on the shaft of roll 7 for continuouslyoperating the conveyor at a selected speed.

There are parallel side plates 10 at each side of the conveyor near thedischarge end of the conveyor. The tops of the side plates are connectedby front and rear cross bars 11. Between the side plates there are aplurality of divider plates 12, four such plates being here shown,forming between them a series of lanes 13, three such lanes being hereshown. The tops of the plates toward the discharge end of the conveyorhave upwardly-extending pins 14 thereon (see FIG. 4) and these pins passthrough a cross bar 15 which is removably set in brackets on the sideplates 10 of the machine. The forward end of the divider plates 12 arepivotally connected at 16 to a cross bar 17. This cross bar has one endprojecting from the side of the machine, and this end engages aneccentric pin at 18 on the end of a motor-driven shaft, the motor beingdesignated 19. When the motor 19 is operating, the eccentric 18reciprocates the bar 17 through a limited arc, oscillating the dividerplates in a manner well understood in the art to facilitate the entranceof the cans or other containers which are more or less randomly disposedon the conveyor into the several lanes to keep all of the lanessubstantially full of containers during the packaging operation. Thedivider plates and the associated parts are often referred to in the artas a grid.

Since only three lanes of cans are provided for, there are auxiliaryside guides 20 bolted to the tops of the structural sections 4 at eachside of the machine. These are best seen in FIG. 2. As best seen inFIGS. 4 and 5, there is a dead plate 21 rearwardly of the roll 7 andclose to the roll with the top of the dead plate flush with the topreach of the conveyor belt so that the containers are pushed from thebelt onto the dead plate.

So much of the machine as has been described is essentially the same asthat disclosed in the aforesaid Smith patent, except for theremovability of the grid and the provision of the auxiliary side plates20. The present invention comprises a self-contained unit that isremovably attached to the discharge end of this conveyor unit.

The self-contained unit comprising the present invention has twoparallel vertical side plates 25 having laterally-extending flanges 26on their outer faces, and these flanges 26 are set on the tops of theforwardlyextending portions 4a of the parallel side sections 4 as bestseen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The exterior of each of the side plates is alsoprovided with a vertically-extending flange 27, and these abut againstthe ends of the respective sections 4a. The attachment is secured to theframe of the basic unit by bolts 27 that pass through the flanges 26into the extending portions 4a of the sections 4. There are adjustingscrews 28 passing through the flanges 26 for adjusting the level of theattachment on the ends of the sections to which they are bolted, thesescrews 28 functioning as shims to maintain the level of the attachmentin proper relation to the dead plate 21.

There is a platform 30 pivotally supported at 31 to the side plates 25,the pivots being located close to the discharge end of the conveyor, theplatform 30 being movable on these pivots in a vertical arc from agradual slope to a steeper slope, the normal can-receiving slope beingshown in FIG. 4 and the steeper slope being best shown in FIG. 5. Theplatform has divider plates 32 thereon which are in line with thedivider plates 12 over the conveyor, but which are of less height thanthe divider plates 12. These divider plates form lanes between themwhich are aligned with the lanes 13. In the bottom of each lane areparallel rails 33 on which the containers slide when they move onto theplatform and leave the platform as hereinafter described. The dividerplates and the rails may be adjustable in a direction transverse to thedirection of travel of the conveyor so as to increase or decrease thewidth between them where it is desirable to use the machine forcontainers of different diameters, but of course in any operation allcontainers in one run will be of the same diameter.

Under the outer or discharge end of the platform 30 there is a fluidpressure cylinder 34 having a piston and piston rod 35, and the upperend of said piston rod is pivotally attached at 36 to the under side ofthe platform 30. The lower end of the cylinder 34 is pivotally attachedat 37 to a cross member 38 extending between the two side plates 25.

There is a cross bar 40 carried on parallel levers 41 pivotallysupported in brackets 42 on the under side of the platform near itsdischarge end, and this cross bar has dogs 43 thereon that projects upthrough openings in the platform 32, there being one of these dogs onthe bar 40 centrally positioned in each lane on the tilting platform 30.A tension spring 44 is secured to the opposite end of the levers 41, andthis spring is anchored at 45 to a bracket 46 carried on a cross member47 that extends between the plates 25 under the platform 30. The crossbar 47 as so positioned that when the platform 30 swings down to theposition shown in FIG. 5, the left end of the levers 41 as viewed inFIGS. 4 and 5 will strike the cross bar 47, causing the bar 40 with thedogs 43 thereon to swing downwardly, withdrawing the dogs from theirnormal obstructing position near the ends of the lanes on the tiltingplatform. FIG. 5 shows the dogs so withdrawn.

There is an apron 50 at the rear end of the apparatus extending acrossbetween the side plates 25, this apron having a sloping upper portionthat is inclined upwardly toward the platform 30, but which terminatesat the rear of the end of the platform 30. The lower portion of thisapron designated 50a is substantially vertical and has a slot 51 at thecenter of the bottom. Beneath the apron there is a rock shaft 52 thatextends between bearing blocks 53 secured to the inner faces of theplates 25. This rock shaft has attached thereto a sleeve 54 from whichdepends a rod 55. There is an adjustable sleeve 56 on the rod to whichis attached a supporting foot member 57. The rock shaft 52 also has anarm 58 fixed thereon, and the top of this arm is pivotally connected at59 to an adjustable link through an adjustment 60 to the piston rod 61of a fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit 62. This unit is pivotallysupported at 63 to another cross bar 64 extending between the bottomedges of the two plates 25. The arrangement is such that when fluidpressure is admitted to the right end of the cylinder 62 as viewed inFIG. 4, the piston rod 61 moves to the left, rocking the rock shaft 52to the position indicated in FIG. 5, swinging the carton-supportingelement 57 from the horizontal position shown in FIG. 4 to theupwardly-inclined position shown in FIG. 5, where it will support therear end of a carton C (indicated in broken lines in FIG. 5), resting onthe sloping part of the apron 50.

There is a rectangular funnel structure the discharge end of which isshown in FIG. 3. This funnel structure is supported between the two sideplates 25 with the bottom 71 thereof spaced a slight distance above theapron 50, as indicated at 71a, and above the funnel there is a coverplate 72. The funnel 70' has its bottom surface 71 so located that whenthe tilting plate 30 moves from the position shown in FIG. 4 to theposition shown in FIG. 5,

the level of the bottom plate 71 will be flush with the top of the rails33 on the top of the tilting plate, and the bottom of the tunnel will beclosely aligned to the ends of these rails so that containers may slideeasily from the rails through the tunnel.

The tunnel is so arranged that when the carton C is put in position toreceive cans, the lower end flap of the carton will extend into thespace 71a between the bottom 71 of the tunnel and the top of the apron50. There is a fluid pressure valve, preferably an air valve 80, at theupper end of the space 71a so positioned that when the flap of thecarton is inserted into the space 71a and the carton is lined up againstthe end of the funnel, the flap will strike the valve 80. As shown inFIG. 8 this will admit air under pressure from a supply line 81 throughtube 82 to the upper end of the cylinder 62 so that the first operationthat occurs when the carton is put in position is for the support 57 tomove rapidly up against the end of the carton as shown in FIG. 5. As thesupport 57 reaches carton-supporting position, the arm 58 on the rockshaft 52 will strike a second air valve 83 so that air will flow fromthe high pressure line through pipe 84, valve 83, and line 85 to theupper end of the cylinder 34. This will energize the cylinder to pullthe piston rod 35 down, bringing the tilting plate 30 to the steeperinclination shown in FIG. 5, at which time the dogs 43 will be withdrawnfrom the ends of the lanes so that the containers will slide from theplatform 30 through the tunnel into the carton. When the cans which arefilled with product enter the carton, the weight will tend to swingsupport 57 downwardly, and as the arm 58 starts to move back to itsoriginal position, it will contact two valves '86 and 87. High pressureair will flow from air supply line 81, line 84, branch line 88, andvalve '86 to line 89 to rapidly force the platform 30 up to its normalcontainer-receiving position shown in FIG. 4. At the same time air fromline 88 will also flow through a branch line which includes aflow-restricting element 90 to the valve 87, and from valve 87, air willslowly pass through line 91 to the other end of the cylinder 62, whichis the left end as viewed in FIGS. 4 and to slowly return the support 57to its normal horizontal position. At this time the loaded carton willbe upright, but its balance may be such that it will either fall offonto a receiving conveyor, or may be manually removed.

On the under side of the plate 30 at each side thereof is an ear 95 towhich is attached a link 96, there being one of these links at each sideof the platform 30. The upper end of each link 96 is adjustablyconnected at 97 to a gate that is movable from the position shown inFIG. 4 where it is above the level of the containers to the positionshown in FIG. 5 where it is in the path of travel of the containerswhich are then on the dead plate 21. This gate has side arms 98adjustably pivoted at 99 to the side plates 25, and it has a cross bar100 extending between the arms 98 that actually forms the gate to stopthe movement of the containers. The links 96 of course attach to therespective side bars 98. The purpose of the adjustment provided by themultiple holes indicated in the drawings enables pivot points to bechanged to meet the requirements of containers of different heights.

When the containers move from the dead plate 21 onto the sloping plate30, an angular space develops between the last can in each line on thedead plate 21, and the endmost can in each lane on the platform 30. Whenthe platform 30 tilts from the normal container-receiving position shownin FIG. 4 to the carton-loading position shown in FIG. 5, the links 96pull down on the gating structure so that the cross bar 100 of the gateenters this angular space between those cans on the dead plate and thoseon the tilting platform to block the oncoming cans against movement fromthe dead plate during the time that the cans on the platform 30' aresliding into the carton, and until the platform 30 has returned to thecontainer-receiving position shown in FIG. 4.

As previously stated, this apparatus is generally used with larger sizesof containers, such as No. 1 cans, that are commonly used for juices orrestaurant supplies. Each filled container is quite heavy, so that acase lot is normally twelve units, and as here shown the machine isdesigned to pack three rows of four cans each, but this may be varied tosuit the requirements of the trade.

Starting with the platform 30 in its normal position of relativelyslight inclination, the accumulated cans in the several lanes 13 overthe belt conveyor are pushed into the registering lanes on the platform30 by the forward travel of the conveyor belt. When each lane is full,as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, no more can move onto the platform, and thereis then arranged on the platform a case load of three rows with fouruni-ts in each row. The cans cannot move off the discharge end of theplatform by reason of the dogs 43, and they cannot tip over because thecover 72 restrains the endmost can in each row from tilting. When acarton flap is inserted under the bottom 71 of the tunnel and it strikesthe valve 80, the sequence of operations heretofore described takesplace with the platform tilting to the steeper angle, pulling the gatebar down in front of the endmost cans on the dead plate 21. As theplatform reaches its lowest position the dogs 43 are retracted and thecans are then clear of the cover 72 and they slide through the tunnel,preserving their arrangement of three rows as they slide into thecarton. The platform quickly returns to its raised container-receivingposition, lifting the gate bar 100 as it does so. As the platform lifts,lever 41 moves clear of cross bar 47 and the dogs 43 return to theirraised can-blocking position under the action of spring 44. The loadedcarton at the same time is lowered to a vertical position by thedownward movement of support 57 to minimize lifting by the operator. Assoon as gate bar 100 raises, another load of cans quickly fills thelanes on the platform for a repeat of the same operation when anothercarton is placed in canreceiving position.

The entire unit is self-contained so that it can be readily applied toand removed from the basic conveyor unit. If the basic unit is alreadyequipped with upside-down case packing elements as disclosed in saidU.S. patent, the gate arrangement and tilting platform as there shownmust be first removed. After the present unit is in place, it is onlynecessary to attach the air supply line 81 to the air supply andregulating unit which is customarily provided for operation of theupside-down case packer. Air is desirable as the fluid-operating mediumbecause it is both convenient and fast. The diagram in FIG. 8 isschematic, in that it represents well known components and the circuitsdo not attempt, for the sake of simplicity, to show how pressure isrelieved at one end of either cylinder when air under pressure isadmitted to the other.

I claim:

1. An end case packer for assembling and discharging a case load ofcontainers into the open end of a carton comprising:

(a) an endless belt conveyor having a receiving end and having adischarge end,

(b) means extending lengthwise over the discharge end portion of theconveyor belt for arranging containers that are randomly positionedthereon at its receiving end into parallel lanes for discharge from theconveyor,

(c) a container-receiving platform at the discharge end of the conveyorthat is pivotally supported adjacent the end of the conveyor to move ina vertical are from a normal container-receiving position to a slopingcontainer discharge position where containers resting thereon will slideoff the free end of said platform, which is the end most remote from theconveyor,

(d) operating means arranged to effect such movement of the platformbetween the normal position and container-discharge :position andreturning it to its normal position,

(c) said platform having guide means thereon to con fine the containersin the lanes in which they have been arranged on the conveyor,

(f) means under the platform having a series of dogs thereon, each oneof which dogs projects through the platform into container-obstructingposition at the end of each lane at the free end of the platform,

(g) means operated by the downward movement of said platform to thecan-discharge position to retract said dogs from container-obstructingposition, and

(h) gating means arranged to block the travel of containers from theconveyor onto said platform when the platform is lowered tocontainer-discharge position and clear the containers when the platformis in normal container-receiving position.

2. An end case packer as defined in claim 1 in which said dogs arecarried on a transversely-extending bar supported on the under side ofthe platform near the free end thereof for movement in a vertical arcrelatively to the platform, and means fixed with respect to saidplatform for moving said bar downwardly relatively to the platform whenthe platform nears the lower limit of its movement.

3. An end case packer as defined in claim 1 in which said dogs arecarried on a transversely-extending bar, a lever pivotally mounted onthe under side of the platform with the pivot therefor intermediate itsends, said bar being carried on one end of said lever, biasing meansnormally holding said bar in its uppermost position relative to theplatform, and a fixed member arranged under said platform in position tocontact the end of said lever opposite the end on which said bar iscarried to rock said lever and move said bar downwardly relative to theplatform as the platform reaches its container-discharge position, saidbiasing means being effective to lift the bar relatively to the platformas the lever is moved up with the platform away from said fixed member.

4. An end case packer as defined in claim 1 in which there is aninclined carton-supporting surface rearwardly of the tilting platformand wherein there is a guide funnel in fixed position at the free end ofthe platform to receive containers from the platform when the platformis tilted to its container-discharge position and said dogs arewithdrawn from a position where they are clear of the containers, saidguide being arranged to direct rows of containers from said platforminto a carton positioned on said inclined carton-supporting surface, anda carton end support movable in an arc from a substantially horizontalposition upwardly to an inclined position where it will support an endof a carton on said inclined supporting surface that is remote from saidguide funnel.

5. An end case packer as defined in claim 4 in which there is a firstfluid pressure cylinder and piston unit arranged to effect such movementof the carton end support.

6. An end case packer as defined in claim 5 wherein said operating meansfor moving the platform is a second fluid pressure cylinder and pistonunit, and valve means controlled by the operation of said first cylinderand piston unit for controlling the operation of said second fluidpressure unit arranged to operate said second unit to lower the platformonly after the first cylinder and piston unit has operated to raise thecarton end support to its inclined position and effect the return ofsaid platform to normal container-receiving position only after a loadof containers has been received in the carton, and other meanscontrolled by the loading of the carton to activate said first fluidpressure cylinder piston unit to return the carton end support to itshorizontal position.

7. An end case packer as defined in claim 6 wherein the conveyor belt ismounted in a frame having parallel structural sections at the sidesthereof, which sections project beyond the discharge end of theconveyor, said tilting platform, the gate means, the inclinedcarton-supporting surface, the carton end support, the guide tunnel andthe fluid pressure cylinders are carried as a complete self-containedunit between two parallel spaced side plates,

each side plate having a laterally-extending horizontal flange on theexterior surface thereof for removably supporting said unit on andbetween the projecting ends of the structural sections at the sides ofthe conveyor belt.

'8. For use with an endless belt conveyor having ahorizontally-extending conveyor belt and means for continuously drivingthe belt wherein the belt is supported between two parallelhorizontally-extending structural sections and wherein the belt has areceiving end and a discharge end and a dead plate at the discharge endlevel with the top surface of the belt, and said parallel structuralsections have portions projecting beyond the discharge end of the beltand wherein means are provided adjacent the discharge end of the beltfor arranging containers that are randomly positioned on the receivingend of the belt into parallel lanes, the invention comprising an endcase packer for removable attachment to the projecting ends of saidparallel structural sections, said end case packer comprising:

(a) a pair of spaced parallel vertical side plates with crossconnections therebetween,

(b) a horizontal laterally-projecting flange on the outer face of eachside plate, each one of said flanges being adapted to rest on and besecured to one of the projecting ends of said parallel structuralsections to operatively position the unit at the discharge end of theconveyor between the ends of said structural sections,

(c) a platform carried between said plates for receiving containersmoving oif the discharge end of the conveyor when said unit is inposition, the platform being pivoted between the side plates at the endof the platform nearest the dead plate and movable from a normalcontainenreceiving position where it slopes downwardly away from thedead plate at a gradual slope to a contain-er discharge position whereit is sloped downwardly to a steeper angle,

(d) a cylinder and piston unit supported between said side plates andconnected with said platform for moving it from a container-receivingposition to the container-discharge position,

(e) a gate element comprising two arms, one of which is pivotallyattached to the inner face of one of said side plates and the other of'which is pivotally attached to the inner face of the other side plateopposite the first one and a gate bar connecting the free ends of saidarms, said arms extending from between the side plates toward theconveyor, and

(f) a link pivotally connected to said platform and to one of said armsarranged to move the gate bar down into a space between the containerson the dead plate and the containers on the platform when the platformis tilted to container-discharge position and to be lifted clear of thecontainers on the dead plate when the platform returns to its normalcontainer-receiving position.

9. The end case packer defined in claim 8 wherein there is:

(a) a first cylinder and piston unit operatively at tached to the underside of the platform and there is a gate bar extending between said sideplates to which said cylinder and piston unit is anchored,

(b) a container-supporting means positioned between said side platesrearwardly of the tilting platform and inclined upwardly toward saidinclined platform on which a carbon may be placed to receive containersfrom the platform,

(0) means positioned to guide containers from the platform when it hastilted to container-discharge position into a carton supported on saidinclined container-supporting means,

(d) a carton end support mounted between said side plates movable in anarc from a substantially horizon l position to an upwardly-inclinedposition where it will bear against the end of a carton placed on saidinclined container-supporting means,

(e) a second cylinder and piston unit supported between said side platesarranged to swing said carton and support between said two positions,and

(f) a pneumatic circuit arranged to effect the oper-' ation of the saidfirst cylinder to move the platform to container discharge position onlyafter the second cylinder has moved said carton end support from thehorizontal position to the carton end supporting position and to effectthe operation of said first cylinder to return the platform tocontainerreceiving position and effect the operation of said secondcylinder to move the container end support back to its normal horizontalposition only after a load of containers has been discharged into acarton positioned on the inclined carton-supporting means.

10. An end case packer as defined in claim 8 wherein said platform hasparallel guide means thereon for keeping containers in the parallellanes in which the platform has guide means for retaining the containersin lanes which are aligned with the lanes formed on the conveyor, saidpaltform having a dog at the discharge end of each lane which is movablevertically from a containerobstructing position downwardly to anonobstructing position, a lever on the under side of said platform foreffecting such movement of the dogs, and means supported between theplates under the platform for tripping said lever to move the dogsdownwardly from container-obstructing to container-nonobstructingposition only when the platform has moved to the container dischargeposition, and spring means for returning the dogs tocontainerobstructing position before the platform has returned tocontainer-receiving position.

11. The end case packing unit as defined in claim 8 in which each ofsaid flanges has leveling means thereon positioned to cooperate with thesurfaces of the projecting end portions of the structural side sectionson which the end case packer is set for adjusting the level of theplatform with respect to the dead plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,109,294 2/1938 Kimball 53-593,056,482 10/1962 Lanham et a1. 19826X 3,377,771 4/1968 Schmidt 53153THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R.

